


pluck the redness from wild flowers

by soniagiris



Category: Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi - past, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bitterness, Bittersweet Ending, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fusion with HPA saga, Gen, Past Relationship(s), Smoking, Spoilers, Underage Smoking, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-24 01:25:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10731285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soniagiris/pseuds/soniagiris
Summary: I want to burn the blood out of my mind, I want to raise above clouds of trees.He can't forget Kaede, but he can't remember her, too.ENDGAME V3 SPOILERSsequel to'it's future rust'





	pluck the redness from wild flowers

**Author's Note:**

>   * title&description from this one poem, [here's the translation](http://www.tekstowo.pl/piosenka,czeslaw_Spiewa,piesn_o_szczesciu___mela_koteluk_.html)
>   * ndrv3 spoilers
>   * tysm for betaing, vee @ikuzonos and star @dunyazad, i owe u 2 my life ;u;
> 


Whenever the sugary sleeping pill dissolves on his tongue, Shuichi thinks about Kaede and the way she broke the chocolate bar in half to share it with him. 

"I'd gladly eat it all," she liked to say with a wink. "But hey, you could use something sweet once in a while."

It is one of his first retrieved memories. The doctors of Future Foundation assured him that more are going to resurface, just like they did with the 78th class. Shuichi just nodded and didn't say that the SHSL Chemist was alive back then. Yumeno looks as if she's about to express his thoughts vocally, but Maki shushes her up with a pointed look. The Foundation is already in shambles, and there's no need to remind them of it, she mutters later when Shuichi is accompanying her on a smoke break. He doesn't reply to her bitter remark. Just hugs his arm to his body and focuses on the way ashes scatter on the dirty concrete. Doesn't think of a glass of water breaking on the carpet and Kaede cursing softly in French. She didn't presume he knew the language. 

On their first anniversary, Shuichi told her he loved her. In French, of course. He felt too afraid to use Japanese, the most fitting expression being a bit… both too strong and just enough. Kaede blushed even harder than him, then promptly tripped on the rug in their favorite cafe.

And then a loop tightened itself around her neck, and her skin went blue, blue like the bouquet of forget-me-nots he gave her once, just a month before the despair, and she kicked uselessly, trying to push her fingers under the rope, and her inaudible scream was deafening—

Shuichi shoots awake. His ragged breath scrapes his throat. The memory, the sweet memory with a tang of poison, dances fresh in his mind. The sheets, tangled around his sweaty body, feel trapping,  _ strangling, _ just like the—

He barely records himself rocketing outside , not even bothering to put on shoes or a jacket. Only when the cold sidewalk under his feet starts to feel uncomfortable, Shuichi comes back to his senses. Taking a few deep breaths of frosty air, he looks around. All the windows in the rickety houses are dark, and there's not enough energy for lanterns, so the only light comes from the stars and the moon.

Every full moon, Kaede sat on the rooftop and stargazed. The tea she brewed for that occasion was bitter and burnt, but it was the best tea Shuichi ever tried. When he said that with an awkward smile, Kaede grinned bashfully and brought their linked hands to her lips, kissing his wrist gently.

No, Shuichi decides. It's better not to sleep anymore. But, he thinks as he shivers in his undershirt and track pants, I should go to my apartment to grab a shirt or something. (Not shoes, though, he can't quite bring himself to care about dirt, literal nor metaphorical).

After fulfilling that task and locking the doors behind himself, he finds himself in a gridlock. The library closes just before the sunset, the park is far away, and disturbing Harukawa's or Yumeno's sleep seems rude. 

However, he notices a faint light a few hundred meters away. Dully curious, Shuichi walks in its direction. Who on earth could be awake at — he checks his dented watch — three am, except for people working for defense squadron? The Future Foundation does not enforce a strict curfew, yet the members are compelled to take care of their health and follow a proper sleep schedule. So, who on earth are those people?

Ah. Apparently, the two most prominent heads of the entire organization are the ones to flip off the rules. Once upon a time, Shuichi would grimace at such hypocrisy, but now it would feel— wrong? Besides, only if for a millisecond, Togami-san and Munakata-san look so tired and weary that Shuichi can't help but wonder if he encountered something he shouldn't have.

Then both men's faces return to the hard shields of disinterest. Togami-san scowls a bit.

"Look who's here," he says flatly. "Mister detective."

"G-good evening," Shuichi stutters, bowing politely. "I, uh, apologize for disturbing you."

"Don't worry," Munakata-san replies as he shakes off the ash from his cigarette. His one eye fixes Shuichi in place, but the man doesn't look particularly irritated, merely adjusts his oversized coat. "You didn't disturb us."

"No, not at all," Togami-san bites out before raising the bottle of an amber, presumably alcoholic, drink to his mouth.

"I'm sorry," Shuichi repeats, not taking his eyes off Togami-san — whose expression changes to one of unadulterated hatred. 

"Oi, Togami," Munakata-san says warningly. "That was unnecessarily harsh of you."

"What do you mean, Kyosuke-san," Togami-san's features twist into a false cheer. "I'm merely talking to our newest detective. After all, we wouldn't want him to tarnish Kirigiri's legacy, now would we? Even though his talent was forged and his actions so far haven't proved to be satisfactory… But, ah, what should we expect."

He doesn't mean it, Shuichi knows. Togami-san's pronunciation is too shaky, his vowels slippery and— But, but what if that's how Togami-san speaks when he's raw and honest? What if this is the ultimate truth?

"I'm very sorry," Shuichi forces out and turns on his heel. Runs away. Such a cowardly move, his mind supplies, but he's no Maki, or Kaito, or— or Kaede—

His body gives out, and Shuichi slumps to his knees. Trembling overcomes him, but he's barely aware of that. At least he managed to get far enough not to hear any— any laughter, taunting, angry screams. A droplet of water splashes on his neck, and it's almost like a physical manifestation of Togami-san 's hateful glare.

Shuichi whimpers. It's— it's fair, he deserves such words and emotions. He does. And he should stay like this, on the ground, pebbles biting into his hands and knees, toes resting on damp sidewalk, pathetic and miserable and cold and—

Suddenly he feels something warm and heavy fall on his shoulders, and there's faux fur brushing his cheek. Shuichi looks up and meets Munakata-san's calm gaze. 

"Can you get up?" the older man asks, not unkindly. When his only reply is a small nod, he takes a step back and gestures to a nearby bench. "Sit down, Saihara. You look like you're about to faint."

"S-sor—"

"Don't worry about it," Munakata-san crosses his arms. "Simply try your best not to catch a cold."

Blushing, Shuichi pulls the lapels of the coat towards himself, acutely aware that, while Munakata-san looked very cool in it, the garment practically swallows his leaner and lighter self. He sniffles a bit and feels a faint smell of blood coming from the garment.

He keeps his face passive, he's sure he does, but, somehow, Munakata-san catches on and gives him a wry grimace.

"It used to belong to my… my dear friend. He has died to save… save me." He coughs awkwardly. "No, that's wrong. I killed him. And he forgave me, the brave idiot. So, whenever it all—" he gestures at the gray buildings and dark redness of sky "—gets too overwhelming, I try to borrow Sakakura's courage." 

Shuichi nods, speechless. Truth be told, he'd never expect such kindness from Munakata-san, and yet… 

But he doesn't deserve it. 

He folds his hands on his lap, trying desperately not to look at Munakata-san, who, he sees from the corner of his eye, pats over his pockets and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. Tapping one out, he offers them to Shuichi — who takes one wordlessly, carefully unhunching himself.

Somehow, the sensation of bitter smoke filling his throat, passing into his bloodstream — Shuichi doesn't find it as choking as he feared. And, yeah, it numbs him a bit, and helps him understand Maki a bit, how she threw her head back and chuckled humorlessly about  _ how fucked up this whole shit is, do you even get it? _

"He doesn't hate you, you should realize."

Whipping his head up, Shuichi blinks at Munakata-san, who, with his hands crossed over his chest, looks calmly at the night sky. 

"Togami, I mean," he adds after a while. "He hates your talent, and even of that I'm unsure. Even so, his behavior towards you was unquestionably uncalled for, and I do regret not nipping it in the bud." 

"I'm sure Togami-san has his reasons," Shuichi says weakly. "He's a man of logic, after all."

"Truth is..." Munakata-san shakes his head, a bit of hair falling onto his eye. He takes a puff, not even bothering to neaten messy strands. "We had an SHSL Detective before. She and Togami were good friends." He tightens his lips. "It's been almost three months since she passed away."

"I'm sorry," Shuichi replies petulantly. "If I knew that me being here would— would bring back—"

"Stop," Munakata-san orders, finally looking at him. His brows furrow. "Your talent is needed, your work is needed, and, forgive my crudeness, Togami can suck it." 

To that, Shuichi has no other reply than a stifled laugh which makes him choke on a cigarette. 

"Easy," Munakata-san says flatly. When Shuichi stops coughing, he adds, "My point stands. He's not the only one here with a broken heart."

"That doesn't make his behavior inexplicable, though," the boy notices. "And... if there was a SHSL Pianist..."

"I'd like to say that there isn't, but it's too late for kind lies," Munakata-san scoffs, offhandedly reaching out and adjusting the collar of Sakakura-san's coat where it crumples by Shuichi's cheek. "After all, there are a lot of shelters like yours, and the possibility of Enoshima having her moles lying in wait inside them exists." 

"Are we— Is Future Foundation ready for that?" Shuichi asks before he can stop himself. Such a childish question... Munakata-san crushes his cigarette on the sidewalk and throws it into the nearby trashcan.

"It is," he says curtly. "But are  _ you _ ready for that?"

"I don't know." Shuichi thinks about the rumors of SHSL Housekeeper, and how her despair almost destroyed the man before him. "Are you?"

"I don't know either." Munakata-san absently rubs his wrist, making Shuichi spot a ribbon tangled over it. "But, in the end, we'll survive. You, Togami, me." His smile reminds Shuichi of flickering candlelight. "We'll move on."

"Because we have to," Shuichi remarks. 

"Because staying stuck in the present, not being able to deal either with the past or the future... This isn't hope." The next words are nearly a breath, "This isn't what she wanted."

Shuichi pulls the coat tighter to himself. If he focuses hard enough, he can almost pretend it's as warm as Kaede's hand on his.

**Author's Note:**

>   * a/n
>   * **cw: smoking; violence ment; death ment; suffocation ment; alcohol; light pda ment;** some other stuff i may have forgotten
>   * this happens in the same universe as "it's future rust' - i wanted to make a series out of it, but eh, can't get through munakata's part. so here it is, just as a loosely tied sequel.
>   * comment/kudo if you read/liked!
> 



End file.
